Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talk as the their team warms up before taking on Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Jake Crandall

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn adjusts his hair as he walks off the field after the game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Georgia defeated Auburn 27-10.(Photo: Jake Crandall)

ATHENS, Ga. — Anders Carlson’s second-quarter field goal Saturday should be little more than a footnote.

It was from 27 yards out, which is hardly something to write home about. It came after Auburn had first-and-goal from the 5, but that’s not anything new this season — the Tigers entered this year’s edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry ranked 71st nationally scoring touchdowns on just 61.5 percent of their trips into the red zone.

Ultimately, the kick was just three points in a game No. 24 Auburn lost 27-10 at No. 5 Georgia at Sanford Stadium.

The reason it is in some way significant is that those three points were the first the Tigers have scored past the first quarter in Athens since 2009. In the four games since, they have outscored the Bulldogs 28-23 in the opening period. The Bulldogs have outscored them 95-3 over the final three.

Auburn lost all four of those games and is now 0-6 at Sanford Stadium since its last win there in 2005.

Gus Malzahn has been the offensive coordinator or head coach for the last five of those games.

For all the good Malzahn has done since he became head coach in 2013 — a .662 winning percentage, at least seven wins in each of his first five seasons, two SEC West titles, one conference crown, one trip to the BCS National Championship game — his teams’ performances against the program’s biggest rivals have left a lot to be desired.

Auburn is 2-4 against LSU and 2-5 against Georgia over the past six seasons after losing to both this year. It will take a 2-3 mark into Tuscaloosa for a game against Heisman frontrunner Tua Tagovailoa and No. 1 Alabama in two weeks.

All of those six wins have come inside the comfortable confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. The four over the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide came in pairs — the Prayer at Jordan-Hare and Kick Six in 2013, and the November to Remember last season. Auburn hasn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2010, Athens since 2005 and Baton Rouge, La., since 1999.

In nine road or neutral-site losses to those teams since Malzahn became head coach six seasons ago (including last year’s SEC Championship game), the cumulative score is Alabama, Georgia and LSU 294, Auburn 152.

“Games like this is all about physicality and winning your matchups and who wants it more,” senior wide receiver Ryan Davis said. “I think everybody played with great effort; it’s just the small details. You’ve got to realize in these games, when you’ve got a chance to execute and make a big play or a catch or a tackle, whatever the case may be, you’ve got to make those plays because those plays could be the difference between winning and losing. I think we kind of struggle making those plays or seizing the opportunity when we need to.”

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) runs off the field after the game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Georgia defeated Auburn 27-10.(Photo: Jake Crandall)

Auburn (6-4, 3-4 SEC) got off to solid start Saturday. Carlson’s field goal gave the visitors a 10-6 lead after JaTarvious Whitlow hit John Samuel Shenker on a halfback pass for a 9-yard touchdown on their second drive. The defense had mostly done its part up until that point, holding the Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1) to two field goals despite two drives inside the 5.

But the game turned in the latter half of the second quarter. Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm hit Tyler Simmons for a 14-yard touchdown to give the home team a 13-10 lead; Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw high and wide to Whitlow on third-and-2 to necessitate a punt with two minutes remaining before halftime; and wide receiver Terry Godwin took a fourth-and-2 slant pass from Fromm 38 yards for a touchdown, all in the span of 2 minutes, 26 seconds.

It was almost the polar opposite of last year’s regular-season meeting between the two teams at Jordan-Hare Stadium, when Georgia scored a touchdown on its first drive then surrendered 30 unanswered points. Auburn came into that game knowing exactly what it wanted to do, and it worked: Stidham threw for three touchdowns, Kerryon Johnson rushed for 167 and the defense held the Bulldogs to just 46 rushing yards on 32 carries.

On Saturday, it was Georgia that looked the part: The offense rushed for 303 yards behind running back duo D’Andre Swift (186) and Elijah Holyfield (93), and the defense didn’t let Auburn cross the 35-yard line on any of its final seven drives.

“Give Georgia credit. They’ve got a complete team, they outplayed us in all three phases,” Malzahn said. “I really thought we’d play better, and we didn’t.”

The Tigers typically haven’t against their three biggest rivals since Malzahn became the head coach six seasons ago. To their credit, not many programs have three rivals as good as Alabama, Georgia and LSU, who rank No. 1, 5 and 7 in the most recent College Football Playoff Rankings. But that won’t ease fans' frustrations.

But even if the rotation or date changes, the Tigers are still going to have to see those three teams every season, and they're still going to have to go into Athens, Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge every other year.

Saturday was another example of how tough that has been of late.

“I’d say right now we’re disappointed in this particular game,” Malzahn said when asked about his 6-12 record against Auburn's rivals. “Every season is different, and we’re disappointed we didn’t play well. We thought we had a chance to come in here and win, and we didn’t get it done.”